Golf ball storage device and retriever



April 25, 1957 w. T. BAUGH, JR 3,316,008

GOLF BALL STORAGE DEVICE AND RETRIEVER Filed June 16, 1965 INVENTOR: 5g26 WILLIAM T BAUQHJR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,31%,fi8 PatentedApr. 25, 19673,316,0il8 GGLF BALL STEERAGEE DEVICE AND RETRIEVER William T. Baugh,in, 833 Linda Lane, Charlotte, NJC. Z8211 Filed June 16, 1965, Ser. No.464,272 Claims. (Cl. 29419) This invention pertains to a golf ballstorage device and rertiever, and more particularly to such a deviceadapted to be gripped by a single hand of a user and extended laterallyoutwardly and downwardly be the user to retrieve and store golf ballsdisplaced varying distances from the user, up to the full extent of theusers reach, without requiring that the user stand immediately above agolf ball being captured.

Many golfers frequently practice relatively short distance shots, suchas chip shots, by dumping a large num her of golf balls on the groundand successively hitting the individual golf balls while attempting toplace the shots into a target area. At the conclusion of a practicesession, it is necessary that the golfer or some other person retrievethe golf balls used in practice by picking them up from the ground. Witha large number of golf balls being used, retrieval of the golf ballsbecomes quite laborious, as the person retrieving them must repeatedlybend over and scoop up each individual golf ball.

A number of retrievers have previously been proposed for permitting auser to retrieve golf balls without stooping, by providing a generallyelongate handle which may be gripped by one or both hands of the userand a capturing means which is to be positioned immediately over a golfball to capture the same on downward movement of the retriever.

Certain of these conventional retrieve-rs additionally are storagedevices, in that they are adapted to receive and contain a relativelylarge number of golf balls before they must be emptied. Suchconventional retrievers and storage devices suffer, however, from avariety of deficiencies and shortcomings which render them less thanentirely satisfactory. A primary deficiency is that such conventionalretrievers universally require that the handle be positioned immediatelyand vertically above a golf ball to be captured before downward pressureis applied to the device to capture the golf ball. Where a user attemptsto capture a golf ball displaced some distance from the place where theuser is standing, with such a conventional retriever, the retriever mustbe extended laterally outwardly and downwardly toward the ground and thegolf ball. When force is then applied, the angle of force applied to thegolf ball is such that the golf ball frequently is not captured, butforced still further away from the user. In order for the user tosuccessfully capture a golf ball, the hand of the user must bepositioned immediately vertically above the golf ball, and thus, toretrieve golf balls over an area of much size, the user must move fromgolf ballto golf ball within the area, and cannot retrieve a number ofgolf balls from any one position.

Additionally, many conventional retrieving devices use capturing meanswhich are not sufficiently sturdy to Withstand continued use, andquickly fail either by no longer capturing golf balls or by readilypermitting the escape of once captured golf balls. Further deficienciesinclude substantial weight, so as to quickly tire a user; poor balanceof the device with regard to the point at which the device is gripped bya user, so as to require additional effort on the part of the user tomaintain the device in a balanced position; and, expensive constructionof por tions of the device, so as to require relatively high price for acommercially produced device.

The improved golf ball storage device and retriever of the presentinvention avoids these and other deficiencies of conventional devices bypermitting a user to grip and manipulate the device by a single band andretrieve and store golf balls lying upon the ground .in vertically andlateraliy spaced random relationship to the hand of the user, withoutrequiring that the user position the hand manipulating the deviceimmediately vertically above a golf ball to be retrieved. Such retrievalof golf balls at varying distances from the user is facilitated byconstructing the device of the present invention with a manuallyengageable handle and a capturing means positioned at a predeterminedangular relationship with the handle. Further, the device of the presentinvention employs, a lightweight and inexpensive, yet sturdyconstruction.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention toprovide an improved golf ball storage device and retriever which avoidsthe aforesaid deficiencies of conventional similar devices and permitsthe retrieval and storage of golf balls lying upon the ground invertically and laterally spaced random relationship to the hand of theuser.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- FEGURE l is an illustrative view ofa user manipulating the golf ball storage device and retriever of thisinvention to retrieve golf balls;

FlGURE 2 is a side or elevational view of the golf ball storage deviceand retriever of this invention;

FIGURES is a view from below of the capturing means of the retriever ofFIGURE 2, taken as indicated by arrows 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, from the rearward side, of the lowerportion of the retriever of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a second perspective view, from the forward side, of thelower portion of the retriever of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the retrieveras shown in FIGURE 5, taken as indicated by the arrows 66 in FIGURE 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the golf ball storagedevice and retriever of this invention, indicated generally at It), isadapted to be manipulated by a user as illustrated in FIGURE 1, tocapture golf balls at varying distances from the users standingposition, in cluding golf balls displaced a sufficient distance so thatthe users hand grasping the device may not be positioned directlyvertically above a golf ball 1i. retriever it} comprises a tubularmember 12 defining a conduit for golf balls which is preferably a rigidcylindrical member formed, in the interests of economy and light weight,from a lightweight material such as aluminum. The lower and upper endsof the tubular member 12 are open to define entrance and dischargeopenings respectively for golf balls passing into and through thetubular member 12. The retriever 10 further comprises an elongate handlemember 13, secured to the tubular member 12 and adapted to be gripped bya single hand of a user for manipulation of the retriever while the useris in a normal erect position. As will now be discussed more fully, thetubular member 12 is provided with means disposed in the entranceopening for permitting passage of golf balls into the tubular member 12and preventing the escape of such golf balls therefrom through theentrance opening.

The tubular member 12 is provided with a pair of separated transverselydisposed slots, 15 and 16 respectively, which are preferably diverginglyarranged or up wardly inclined relative to the entrance opening of thetubular member 12, for reasons to be pointed out shortly. Extendinginwardly from the lower edge of the tubular member '12, adjacent theentrance opening, are a pair Broadly, the

of longitudinally extending spaced apart slots 20 and 21. As shown inFIGURES 35, these longitudinally extending slots 26 and 21 arepositioned on the opposite side of the tubular member from thetransverse slots 15 and 16.

I In order to control the passage of golf balls through the entranceopening of the tubular member 12 and to retain the golf balls in thetubular member 12, a pair of spaced apart transversely extendingresilient arms or legs 23 and 24 are provided. As shown in FIGURES 3-5the resilient arms 23 and 24 are preferably formed from inherentlyresilient or flexible wire which permits the arms to readily be sprungapart and, when released, return to their normal position. Medialportions of the arms are bowed outwardly away from each other to definea substantially elliptically shaped space therebetween for facilitatingthe passage of golf balls therebetween into the tubular member 12.

End portions 23a and 24a of the arms 23 and 24 extend through theproximal portions of the transversely disposed slots 15 and 16 and areguided, when sprung apart from each other when a golf ball passesbetween the arms, by the upper edges of the slots 15 and 16,respectively. This operation will be explained in more detailhereinafter.

Opposed portions 23b and 24b of the arms 23 and 24 remote from the endportions 23a and 24a extend through the longitudinally extending slots20 and 21, respectively, in the tubular member 12, as clearly shown inFIGURE 4. A web portion 25, shown as being formed integral with the endpositions 2312 and 24b of the arms, connects the arms together and is inturn detachably connected to a bracket assembly. The bracket assembly 40comprises elongate plate 26 with the lower portion of the plate 26having an upturned end 27 which faces inwardly toward the tubular memberand serves for engaging the web portion 25 to connect the arms 23, 24 tothe tubular member 12. A rivet 44 penetrates the wall of the tubularmember 12 and the plate 26 for maintaining the plate 26 in the desiredposition for supporting the resilient arms 23, 24.

In operation, upon a downward pressure being applied to the handle -12to move the retriever against the ground, a golf ball upon engaging thearms 23 and 24 will cause the end portions 23a and 24a thereof to besprung apart to permit the ball to pass therebetween and into theinterior of the tubular member 12. During this spreading apart movementof the end portions 23a, 24a of the arms, the arms will be moved apartin an upwardly inclined or diverging path of travel due to the armsbeing guided by the upper edges of the upwardly inclined transverselydisposed slots and 16. It has been determined that this upward divergingmovement of the arms during their being spread apart by a golf ballpassing therebetween aids in prolonging the life of the arms by servingto cushion the initial impact on the arms when engaging a golf ball.Also, as is apparent, the upwardly inclined relation of the slots 15 and1 6 enables the arms 23 and 24 to move apart from each other in agradual manner without binding against the wall of the tubular member.

It should also be noted that the lower edges of the slots 15 and 1 6,respectively, serve as guiding surfaces for guiding the arms 23 and 24to their normal position, as shown in FIGURE 5, after the passage of agolf ball therebetween. In this connection, it must be kept in mind thatthe weight of the golf balls in the tubular member 12 exerts a downwardpressure on the arms 23 and 24, which serve as a support for the golfballs to prevent their being displaced from the container, whichdownward pressure tends to force the arms 23 and 24 inwardly toward eachother, to enhance the retaining effect of the capturing means.

In order to permit the retrieval of golf balls not positionedimmediately vertically below the hand of the user of the retriever ofthe present invention, the retriever 10 embodies a particularrelationship between the tubular member 12 and the elongate handlemember 13. This relationship is made clear in FIGURES 2, 5, and 6, butbest described in conjunction with FIGURES 2 and 6.- From those figures,it may be seen that means are provided for connecting the tubular memberto the handle member with an acute angular relationship between thosemembers. More particularly, the lower terminal portion of the handlemember 13 is somewhat flattened and secured to the forward side of theupper portion of the tubular member 12, adjacent the discharge openingthereof, by suitable means such as rivets 30. As best shown in FIGURE 2,the flattened portion of the lower extremity of the handle member 13 isat a slight angle to the major axis of that member, to thereby determinethe angular relationship of the members when joined together. As may benoted, the central axis of the cylindrical tubular member 12, asindicated by the center line 31 in FIG- URE 5, will intersect the handlemember 13 at a predetermined distance spaced above the discharge openingof the tubular member 12. In operation, the angular relationship of thehandle member 13 and tubular member 12 results in the tubular member 12being positioned in a more nearly vertical attitude with respect to theground as the handle member 13 is manipulated by a user in the retrievalof golf balls. This more nearly vertical attitude of the tubular member12 provides a greater vertical component with force applied by the useralong the axis of the elongate handle 13, while the device 10 isextended laterally outwardly and downwardly from the hand of the user,to permit a golf ball to more readily spread apart the resilient wirearms 23, 24 and enter the tubular member 12, rather than being merelyforced farther away from the operator. This is accomplished Withoutdetracting from the vertical component available when the hand of theuser is positioned more nearly directly above a golf ball to becaptured, even though a small lateral component of force is applied tothe golf ball when the elongate handle member 13 is maintained in asubstantially vertical attitude with respect to the ground. I

In order to lessen the effort required by a user in carrying the storagedevice and retriever of this invention, and in order to .receive andstore a quantity of golf balls retrieved by the device 10, a storage andreceiving means of a particular desired construction and arrangementwith respect to the remainder of the elements of the device 10 isprovided. The golf ball receiving and storing means is preferably atubular bag 14 of a drapable material, such as canvas or sailcloth,which has a particular configuration and attachment to the tubularmember 12 and handle member 13. As best shown in FIGURE 2, the tubularbag 14 is constructed to diverge upwardly. That is, the smallestdiametrical extent of the bag 14 is at the lower end thereof, and isfitted around the upper extremity of the tubular member 12, as shown inFIGURES 4 through 6. There, the lower end of the bag 14 is shown toencircle the tubular member 12, adjacent the discharge opening, and thelower extremity of the handle member 13, adjacent the means securingthose members together, and to be secured in that position by suitablemeans such as a hose clamp 33. From this point of smallest diametricalextent, the bag 14 diverges upwardly with increasing diametrical extent,to an upper portion of constant diametrical extent, and has an upperextremity defining an upper opening which is provided with a drawstringclosure means 34. The bag 14 thus encircles the lower portion of thehandle member 13.

Further, the forward portion of the bag 14 is secured to the handlemember 13 intermediate its height and at the forward side thereof which,in conjunction with the particular configuration of the bag 14, placesthe center of gravity of the bag, when filled with golf balls,rearwardly of the elongate handle 13 and the central axis 31 of thetubular member 12. The upper extremity of the elongate handle member 13has a rearwardly directed tubular member upper terminal portion 35, witha hand grip 36 adapted to be gripped by a user for manipulation of thedevice 10, and as shown most clearly in FIGURE 2, the hand grip overliesthe center of gravity (approximately at point 37) of the device when thebag is filled with golf balls. Thus, as the device 10 is lifted by auser, the elongated handle 13 extends substantially in a verticalattitude with respect to the ground, and a user need not expend effortin attempting to maintain the retriever 10 in a substantially verticalattitude during carrying.

The attachment of the bag 14 to the handle member 13 and the provisionof the drawstring 34, which is exposed to be grasped by the hand of auser rearwardly of the bag 14, result in an advantageous manner ofclosing the upper opening of the bag so as to prevent the escape ofstored golf balls. More particularly, a user may grasp the exposed endof the drawstring 34 and, by pulling upwardly, gather the drapablematerial forming the bag 14 against the handle member 13.

In use, the device 10 of this invention may be used, if desired, tostore a large number of golf balls used for practice purposes as well asprovide a more effortfree collection of the golf balls at the conclusionof a practice session. When stored between practice sessions, thedrawstring closure 34 for the bag 14 prevents undesired escape of thegolf balls, but when a practice session is to be undertaken, the closuremay readily be opened to permit the golf balls to be dumped out of thebag 14. The device 10 of this invention may then be set aside duringpractice, with the bag 14 furled about the elongated handle member 13 toreduce the stored size of the device 10. At the conclusion of a practicesession, a user may manipulate the device 10 to position the 12 over agolf ball and, by applying a force along the axis of the elongate handlemember 13, retrieve golf balls at varying lateral and verticaldisplacements from the hand of the user, without requiring that the userfrequently shift his standing position, and then return the devicecontaining the golf balls to storage until another practice session isundertaken.

It is therefore considered that a golf ball storage device and retrieverhas been described and illustrated which permits the retrieval andstorage of golf balls lying upon the ground in vertically and laterallyspaced random relationship to the hand of the user, by providing anelongate manually engageable handle member and a capturing meansdisposed in a pretdetermined angular relationship to the handle member.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. A device adapted to be conveniently manipulated by a single hand of auser standing in normal erect position for retrieving and storing golfballs lying upon the ground in vertically and laterally spaced randomrelationship to the hand of the user, comprising:

an elongate handle member adapted during normal use of thedevice to begripped adjacent one end thereof by the hand of the user and to beangularly extended downwardly and laterally outwardly therefrom towardgolf balls to be retrieved;

an elongate rigid cylindrical tubular member having one end thereof opento define a golf-ball entrance opening and the opposite end thereof opento define a golf-ball discharge opening and having a height toaccommodate no more than three golf balls therein;

means carried by said tubular member adjacent said entrance openingthereof for permitting passage through said entrance opening and intosaid tubular member of golf balls brought into relative engage- 6 mentand movement therewith by downward displacement of said tubular memberwhile oriented substantially vertically above the golf balls with saidentrance opening thereof lowermost, and for preventing passage ofretrieved golf balls within said tubular member therefrom through saidentrance opening; means connecting said tubular member to said handlemember adjacent the other end thereof and at an acute angularrelationship relative thereto in which the central axis of said tubularmember intersects the central axis of said handle member a predetermineddistance above the discharge opening for positioning said tubular memberin a substantially vertical attitude with respect to the ground withsaid entrance opening thereof lowermost upon said handle member beingangularly extended by the user during normal use of the device, and

golf ball receiving and storing means encircling the upper extremity ofsaid tubular member and the lower extremity of said handle member andoperatively communicating with said discharge opening for receiving golfballs therefrom.

2. A golf ball storage device and retriever as claimed in claim 1 inwhich said handle member is secured to the forward side of said tubularmember adjacent the discharge opening thereof and has a rearwardlydirected upper terminal portion having a handgrip overlying the centerof gravity of said golf ball receiving and storing means.

3. A golf ball storage device and retriever as claimed in claim 1 inwhich said golf ball receiving and storing means is a drapable materialtubular bag diverging upwardly from a lower extremity surrounding saidtubular member to an upper extremity defining an upper opening andhaving a drawstring closure for said upper opening.

4. A device adapted to be conveniently manipulated by a single hand of auser standing in normal erect position for retrieving and storing golfballs lying upon the ground in vertically and laterally spaced randomrelationship to the hand of the user, comprising:

an elongate handle member adapted during normal use of the device to begripped adjacent one end thereof by the hand of the user and to beangularly extended downwardly and laterally outwardly therefrom to wardgolf balls to be retrieved;

an elongate rigid cylindrical tubular member having one end thereof opento define a golf-ball entrance opening and the opposite end thereof opento define a golf-ball discharge opening and having a height toaccommodate no more than three golf balls therein;

means carried by said tubular member adjacent said entrance openingthereof for permitting passage through said entrance opening and intosaid tubular member of golf balls brought into relative engagement andmovement therewith by downward displacement of said tubular member whileoriented substantially vertically above the golf balls with saidentrance opening thereof lowermost, and for preventing passage ofretrieved golf balls within said tubular member therefrom through. saidentrance opening;

means securing the forward side of said tubular member adjacent thedischarge opening thereof to said handle member adjacent the other endthereof and at an acute angular relationship relative thereto in whichthe central axis of said tubular member intersects the central axis ofsaid handle member a predetermined distance above the discharge openingfor positioning said tubular member in a substantially vertical attitudewith respect to the ground with said entrance opening thereof lowermostupon said handle member being angularly extended by the user duringnormal use of the device, and

a drapable material bag having opposite open ends with a lower extremityoperatively communicating means securing other end portions of said wirearms with said discharge opening for receiving golf balls therefrom,said bag encircling a lower extremity of said handle member with anupper extremity of the bag secured thereto, and a drawstring carried bythe upper extremity of the bag and being arranged to close the bag uponthe same being pulled upwardly.

to said tubular member with said free end portions positioned inrespective ones of said slots for movement upwardly and apart from eachother for permitting passage of golf balls into said tubular member anddownwardly and together for preventing passage of golf balls therefromthrough said entrance 5. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which saidmeans carried by said tubular member adjacent said entrance openingcomprises: 10

said tubular member having a pair of separated transversely disposedslots therein positioned adjacent said entrance opening and extendingupwardly and away from each other and said entrance opening,

a pair of spaced apart resilient wire arms positioned in andtransversely of said entrance opening and having corresponding free endportions, and

opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 GERALD M.FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE CONVENIENTLY MANIPULATED BY A SINGLE HAND OFUSER STANDING IN NORMAL ERECT POSITION FOR RETRIEVING AND STORING GOLFBALLS LYING UPON THE GROUND IN VERTICALLY AND LATERALLY SPACED RANDOMRELATIONSHIP TO THE HAND OF THE USER, COMPRISING: AN ELONGATE HANDLEMEMBER ADAPTED DURING NORMAL USE OF THE DEVICE TO BE GRIPPED ADJACENTONE END THEREOF BY THE HAND OF THE USER AND TO BE ANGULARLY EXTENDEDDOWNWARDLY AND LATERALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TOWARD GOLF BALLS TO BERETRIEVED; AN ELONGATE RIGID CYLINDRICAL TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING ONE ENDTHEREOF OPEN TO DEFINE A GOLF-BALL ENTRANCE OPENING AND THE OPPOSITE ENDTHEREOF OPEN TO DEFINE A GOLF-BALL DISCHARGE OPENING AND HAVING A HEIGHTTO ACCOMMODATE NO MORE THAN THREE GOLF BALLS THEREIN; MEANS CARRIED BYSAID TUBULAR MEMBER ADJACENT SAID ENTRANCE OPENING THEREOF FORPERMITTING PASSAGE THROUGH SAID ENTRANCE OPENING AND INTO SAID TUBULARMEMBER OF GOLF BALLS BROUGHT INTO RELATIVE ENGAGEMENT AND MOVEMENTTHEREWITH BY DOWNWARD DISPLACEMENT OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER WHILE ORIENTED